Hainanese chicken rice has long been a comfort food staple for untold millions around the world, including many who aren’t of Chinese descent. And when Theodore Rice, a writer who falls squarely in that not-of-Chinese-descent category, set out to learn to make one of his favorite dishes, he found himself embroiled in an existential dilemma […]
cultural appropriation
The Native Scholar Who Wasn’t
“Academia is an industry, like journalism, that defines itself in large part by its ethical standards; we’re supposed to educate people and produce knowledge. So what does it mean that we’re also a haven for fakes?”
The Secret Life of H.G. Carrillo
“As a black man claiming a manufactured cultural experience and ethnicity, Carrillo is a complicated figure.”
The True Story of Jess Krug, the White Professor Who Posed as Black for Years—Until It All Blew Up Last Fall
“She fabricated harrowing personal backstories, peddled gross caricatures, and spoke from perspectives she had no right to claim. And nobody stopped her.”
Hard Shell Tacos Aren’t As Hardcore Gringo As You Think
The origins of hard shell tacos are hazy, but certain things are clear.
A History of American Protest Music: Come By Here
How cultural appropriation and erasure turned an African American spiritual into a white campfire sing-along.
Appropriation in the Land of Enchantment
In New Mexico, cultural appropriation by newcomers is fueling Indigenous activism over colonialism and property rights.
‘Country Music … Was Anything BUT Pure’: An Interview with Bill Malone and Tracey Laird
The co-authors of ‘Country Music USA’ – a revised edition of the genre’s definitive history – talk with music writer Will Hermes about the music’s African-American tributaries, its unpredictable politics, country radio’s woman problem, and working on Ken Burns’ forthcoming doc.